Senate Bill 90, carried by Senator Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would update the current law allowing racetracks and pari-mutuel wagering in Greene County. The law also provides for the disbursement of gaming fees and revenue to local entities. SB90 would add a provision for historical horse racing on a computerized machine.

"In Greene County, the dog track there has been in existence since 1977. This is not anything new. This is not expanding gaming. It is upgrading the statute," Singleton said. "Today was really one of the last days to get that bill out because the Governor has said to leadership that there are certain bills she would not sign. Those bills were revenue bills. Bills that give raises and compensation to sheriffs, coroners, anything like that."

"My bill is in that same position. She would not sign a gaming bill," Singleton added.

House and Senate leadership planned to hold the final day of the session until May 14 to ensure any local legislation not signed by the Governor could pass with a vote from the Legislature.

Singleton's bill passed the Senate and awaited a vote from the House. On Wednesday, Singleton began filibustering local bills from the House.

"On these days where local bills come up, I am willing to get everybody's local bill out. I don't care what is in your local bill, what is going on in your local community. That is for your local community. I don't understand why they have so much interest in my local bill and want to kill my local bill." Singleton said.

The debate came to the House floor when Rep. Curtis Travis, D-Tuscaloosa, moved to suspend the House rules and bring up SB90.

Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, is a member of the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee. The committee approved SB90 after it initially failed to advance out of committee. He explained that the House procedure doesn't allow the body to handle gaming bills as local legislation.

"I don't have a problem with what is in the guts of your bill. It is the process. The Senate, they can pass local bills on gaming. They probably think that's what it is. A local bill down here. Look at our rules. Most members may not have seen this, but look at Rule 39. A gaming bill in the House is considered a general bill. It is not a local bill. It is a general bill of statewide significance," said Clouse to Travis. "We've come in here on the 11th hour of this session with local bills dealing with gaming when we had a comprehensive bill last year that dealt with this issue."

Representatives continued to mention the comprehensive legislative package from the House that failed in the Senate in 2024 by one vote. During the 2025 session, House leadership said any gambling legislation must come from the Senate and be comparable to the House's 2024 proposal.

"I think what we are seeing play out in front of us is why we did what we did last year," said Rep. Chris Blackshear, R- Phenix City. "I think the Speaker has been pretty clear and adamant since last year's session that any gaming legislation that would come to this House to consider would be a comprehensive approach."

Blackshear co-sponsored the comprehensive gaming legislation in 2024.

Travis ultimately withdrew his motion to suspend the rules.

The Senate adjourned before passing all the local bills on the agenda. Singleton said he would continue to hold up the process when lawmakers return next week for the final day of the 2025 legislative session.

"I want my bill passed like all other local bills. I want it treated like all local bills. They treated my bill like a general bill and as if it were a plague. Like it is going to blow up the state. It is a legal business that has been doing business since 1977. All we are doing is upgrading the statute," Singleton said.

He asked for the bill to be placed on the House's special order calendar as a general bill to be voted on to follow House procedure.

Statewide bills are also on the table heading into the final day of the session. Perhaps the most significant is House Bill 202, a controversial bill to repeal and replace the State's police immunity law. It is part of the Governor's public safety package.

What's in Senate Bill 90?

Senate Bill 90 dictated that the three-person Greene County Racing Commission would be appointed by the legislative delegation representing Greene County in the Alabama House and Senate. Currently, the law states that the Governor appoints the commission members. SB90 would allow local law to set member qualifications and appointment procedures. The local legislative delegation would set a commission member's salary and other compensation.

The funds from fees, commissions, taxes, and other revenue sources related to gaming in Greene County would continue to be distributed through the Greene County Racing Commission. Any money not used to pay the commission's expenses is distributed to local entities, such as the Greene County Commission, municipalities in Greene County, Greene County Hospital, and the Greene County Board of Education.

SB90 would add to the list of local entities getting funding, including E-911, Greene County Industrial Development Authority, a county ambulance service, and Greene County fire departments.

The bill would codify historical horse racing on a computerized machine. Sen. Singleton said this type of betting is already permitted in Greene County.

"It is pari-mutuel. Pari-mutuel has basically been deemed to be legal. There are three attorney general opinions out there saying horse racing machines are legal. That's all we were trying to do was codify it. We were never a horse racing track. We were always a dog racing track. We just wanted to put it in there. We can still do it based upon what is out there on their opinions," Singleton said.

In Greene County, there are historical horse racing machines and simulcasted horse and dog racing tracks.

SB90 would specify pari-mutuel wagering on historical racing computerized machines may be conducted without regard to the following:

• the type of graphics on the machine used to conduct the activity
• whether the patron chooses a specific horse upon which to wager
• whether the patron watches all or part of the historical race

Some lawmakers believed the definition used in SB90 for historical horse racing was unlawful.

"There is no skill involved in the selection of the winning animal. It creates a pure game of chance. It is a slot machine by any other name," said Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs.

"Alabama Constitution and a gambling provision prohibits any game in which skill does not predominate chance in determining the outcome," Mooney added.

He believed a constitutional amendment was needed to add historic horse racing to the law.

"It is not bingo. It has not been declared by the Supreme Court to be illegal or anything. Right now, those lights are still on, and we are going to function whether they pass the bill or not. All I tried to do was to upgrade my statute," Singleton said to reporters after the Senate recessed.